Multifaceted behavioral skills training interventions have demonstrated significant effects in reducing risk for HIV infection in high-risk populations. However, simultaneous inclusion of multiple intervention elements has precluded experimental analysis of specific skill component effects. The proposed study will recruit 100 men and 100 women from an inner-city STD clinic for participation in an intervention study to assess the independent and interactive effects of behavior self-management skills (e.g., cue identification and management, environmental manipulation, and cognitive restructuring), and sexual communication skills (e.g., sexual assertiveness, safer sex negotiation, and risk refusal skills). Participants will attend one of four different four session group interventions: (a) behavior self-management skills instruction only; (b)sexual communication skills instruction only; (c) a combination of both self-management and sexual communication skills; (d) a control condition without any skills instruction. Thus, the study will use a 2 (self- management skills/no self-management skills) X 2 (sexual communication skills/no sexual communication skills) complete factorial design with a 3- month follow-up assessment. It is hypothesized that while both skill components will evidence significant risk reduction, interaction effects of both skills will be most effective in reducing HIV risk. Analyses are also expected to show that the two skill components will have different patterns of effects for men and women, with men reducing risk to a greater degree in the behavior self-management skills condition and women evidencing greater risk reduction in the sexual communication skills condition. This study offers several implications for the development of HIV prevention interventions based on behavior skills training, including evidence for the efficacy of intensive instruction in specific skill components relative to the impact of multifaceted interventions. In addition, questions regarding the relative effects of specific skill components among men and women will be addressed.